Want to know where the locals love to go? In this exclusive series on Time Out Cape Town, ‘Local Intel’ taps into some of the city’s best-connected characters to unearth the corners you simply can’t miss in the Mother City.
The Mount Nelson Hotel has always revelled in its old-school charm, but the grand dame of Cape Town hotels has also had a surprisingly progressive streak. When it opened in 1899, it was the first hotel in South Africa to offer hot and cold running water. Later came a pioneering heated swimming pool, the first in Africa. Even that signature pink façade was a bold bespoke look, introduced in 1918 to celebrate peace at the end of the First World War.
There is, however, one milestone that has taken rather longer.
In a history stretching longer than a century, the Mount Nelson has never had a woman as Hotel Manager.
That changes this month with the arrival of Stacey Hopkins. And there’s a satisfying symmetry to her appointment: Hopkins began her hospitality career at the Mount Nelson as a trainee decades ago, before going on to senior roles with Marriott, Starwood, Fairmont and, most recently, Cape Grace.
“When I saw this role, I thought: this is where I want to be. I want to go back,” says Hopkins. “That’s where my real grounding started.”
Now she’s back at The Nellie and, when she’s not looking after one of Cape Town’s most storied hotels, these are the places she loves to eat around the city.
MORE LOCALS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE SPOTS
This is a place that’s super-special to me. I love the buns at The Local Baker, obviously, and I don’t think you get a better one in Cape Town. You can buy them at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, but I love the fact that on a Wednesday you can actually meet the baker, if you’re lucky enough to get there in time. I also don’t think enough people know about their amazing focaccia sandwiches on Saturdays.
The Bijou, 178 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town
I’m a fan of Upper Union for lunch or dinner. I love the sharing plates, with lots of different flavours coming together, and I especially like sitting outside in the courtyard.
3 Upper Union Street, Gardens, Cape Town
New York Bagels has been a staple for me for a long time. I think they make one of the best Reuben sandwiches in town.
44 Harrington Street, District Six, Cape Town
One of my favourites at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market is the mushroom kebabs. They’re something I always go back for.
Corner Granger Bay Boulevard and Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
I think the best carrot cake is at The Blue Café in Tamboerskloof. It still has that wonderful neighbourhood feel and is so well supported by locals. Sitting there with a coffee feels so far removed from the city that you could be anywhere. It’s this quiet pavement café and a hidden little treasure that only the locals really know about.
13 Brownlow Road, Tamboerskloof
I’ve definitely got a sweet tooth, and I think you’d find it hard to beat one of the brownies at Jason Bakery.
83 Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town
For a delicious curry, I love Curry Club. There’s an aubergine dish with curry leaf, coconut and mustard-seed gravy that is fabulous.
Shop 8, Cape Quarter Lifestyle Centre, corner Jarvis and Napier streets, De Waterkant
A picnic on the lawns at Buitenverwachting, underneath the Norfolk pine, is a great option. The kids can run free while you sit back and soak up the sunshine.
37 Klein Constantia Road, Constantia, Cape Town
Saigon on Kloof Street has been around for a long time, and Vietnamese food is one of my favourites. I love the fact that they do so little promotion, but the restaurant is always full of locals. Their brinjal dish is delicious.
Corner Kloof and Kamp streets, Gardens, Cape Town
I generally don’t dine at the Waterfront very much, but there’s one spot I think people don’t always know about: Cooked in the Watershed. It has really great coffee, bagels and latkes. We found it just before Covid, and the quality and consistency are excellent. What they offer is so different from much of what you find at the Waterfront.
Unit A07, The Watershed, 17 Dock Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
The Table at De Meye is another one of my favourite spots. There’s no conventional menu: you find out during the week what produce they have, and that’s what they serve.
It might be a slow-roasted piece of lamb, with the tables spread out across the lawn near the vineyards. The food arrives family-style: a big piece of lamb, potatoes in the middle of the table and whatever they’ve picked from the garden. It’s stunning – absolutely my kind of Sunday lunch with friends or family.
De Meye Farm, Muldersvlei Road, Stellenbosch
At A Tavola in Claremont, give me the zucchini fries and a plate of thinly sliced fillet topped with rocket and Parmesan. Again, it’s simple food. They don’t do pizzas, but you’re hard-pressed to find a table there during the week. It’s simple, great food that isn’t complicated, and that’s very much how I like to eat.
Shop 1, Library Square, Wilderness Road, Claremont
Eat at the best Italian restaurants in Cape Town.
For a local wine-farm experience that isn’t too far out of town, Tryn at Steenberg is lovely for a Friday afternoon. It’s a beautiful spot, with great plates of food that are full of flavour.
Steenberg Farm, Steenberg Road, Tokai, Cape Town
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